Operating brakes for cars



L.' STEBBINS.

Car Brake.

Patented Apr. 18. 1848.

AI LPHOTO'LITHQCUNY. (OSEURNE'S PROCESS) was PAT NT OFFICE.

LUCIUS STEBBINS, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT.

OPERATING BRAKES FOR CARS.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 5,510, dated April 18, 1848; Antedated October 18, 1847.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that 1, Loans STEBBINs, of Hartford, in the State of Connecticut, have invented new and useful Improvements in Brakes for Railroad-Cars, and that the fol lowing is a full, clear, and exact description of the principle or character which distinguishes them from all other things before known and of the manner of making, constructing, and using the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical section through the car trucks, and Fig. 2, a plan of the underside of the cars.

The same letters indicate like parts in both figures.

The nature of my improvement consists in arranging the levers that act on the brakes in a line under the cars, or in such position that a cord or chain, which is extended from one end of the train to the other over pulleys attached to the frame, shall also pass around pulleys in the ends of said levers in such a way that when the chain is drawn tight it shall draw equally on all the levers attached to any given number of brakes so as to make them act alike on each brake in the train at one and the same time; and said chain being connected horizontal arm of lever (d) extends back to near the center and on its extreme end bears a pulley (03). All the brakes are in like manner connected; a chain (6) which is fastened to the rear end of the last car of the train runs along under the frame on pulleys (f) attached to the frame passing over one of said pulleys near the end of lever (d) above described and thence down around the pulley (d) thence through under the pulley on the next succeeding pulley (d) and thence up again to one of the pulleys (f) on the frame, and so on to the front of the train, passing in succession around each lever pulley as above described. On one of the axles of the locomotive there is a reel or drum (h) to which the forward end of the chain can be hitched; this drum can be connected or disconnected at pleasure with the axle by a common friction clutch controlled by the engineer and placed in a convenient position therefor.

It is obvious that many changes can be made in the construction and location of the brakesand the levers that operate them, and also in the manner of tightening the chain, but these I should only deem modifications of my improvements so long as the chain is retained; is a chain attached to one of the levers (d) which connects it with ahand apparatus of ordinary construction by which one brake can be acted on separately.

VVhatI claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is- 1. The employment of a chain or other analogous device which extends from one end of the car or train to the other, and by tightening which all the brakes are acted on equally.

2. I also claim in combination with the above described chain, the reel or drum and clutch operated by the engineer for bringing the brakes into action, substantially as herein set forth.

-LUCIUS STEBBINS. Witnesses:

ALEX. PORTER BROWN, WM. H. Emma 

